Age of Steel
by Titanic-fanatic
Summary: How ‘Age of Steel’ could have ended in the Doctor’s POV. His thoughts/commentary on the Mickey's departure and the part you didn't see before Rose visited her mum. A product of my alternate-ending-inventing mind : 1-SHOT WAY BETTER THAN SUMMARY.


**Age of Steel**

"Yeah, but Rose, you don't. It's just you an' him isn't it?"

I stood there and sensed his eyes fall on me. His lingering gaze was not one of hatred or jealousy, despite the tone of his voice giving leeway to both of these emotions. No he looked at me, accepting.

Rose simply diverted her gaze, I could tell in her eyes she knew what he was getting at. He was implying that the fire in her beautiful brown eyes no longer burned for him but for me. His conclusions, though precise, were more complex than that for he had no inclination of how I feel for Rose, like every other being I have encountered. Words cannot fathom the irregular beating my hearts adopt on mere sight of her, let alone the touch of her hand. They could not even begin to describe the anguish I feel when I revisit the realisation that telling her will be the hardest decision of my life.

"We had something a long time ago, but not anymore" Mickey then proceeded, causing Rose to set her tear trimmed gaze back to him. He had courage and I admire him for that. Even I do not possess such courage when it came to this matter. It baffled me sometimes, that humans barely manage to communicate with one another, regardless of how much they try or shout and then, when it really matters, they express themselves so effortlessly. This fascinated me as it was not a skill I possessed and, regrettably, probably never will.

"Well, we'll come back. We can travel anywhere, come an' see you yeah?" she took to me half way through her sentence, not making eye contact. It was evident why. Her emotional state right now left her eyes as windows to her inner most thoughts and feelings, to me anyway. I was not sure if she was conscious of this, but something must have dropped that gaze a few millimetres short of my own eyes.

I felt a sense of unsteadiness rack my chest as I inhaled, aware that she would begrudge me for my input "We can't".

His eyes targeted my face the instant the words escaped my lips, he had the same pleading glow in his expression that Rose was sending in my direction. I had to continue speaking "I told you travel between parallel worlds is impossible. We only got here by accident, we fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I gotta close it. We can't ever return"

The words felt sour on my tongue as I watched Rose stare numbly ahead, the gravity of Mickey's choice was hitting her precious heart harshly, she didn't speak because she couldn't.

I can do many things, take her to see her deceased father even, but this one desire I cannot grant her. This stirred me apprehensively, but I kept my composure. She needed strength and that I can and will _always _provide.

"Doctor" my former companion begun, offering a hand. I took it, giving him specific instruction.

"Take Rose's phone, it's got the code, get it out there. Stop those factories. And…good luck, Mickey the idiot". I could not help but feel a smile merit my face as a sense of pride overwhelmed me. I tapped his head affectionately, he was a good man. A good man that Rose deserved, one without a hidden past and horrors that plagued him so much so he'd taken his name and shunned it from the entirety of space and time.

"Watch it" he mustered, a small smirk attempting to form on his lips but it was clear that the tears for his Rose were too devastating. He cannot say she is _his_ anymore and that was ripping him from the core of his sanity. Mickey then gave her to me as our eyes met, not as a prize or object of affection but as a responsibility. It was my job from there on in to solely take care of Rose now, and I did and will happily take this duty in my stride.

I looked at her and then entered the Tardis, they need a moment to say goodbyes and I don't want to be a shadow over this memory that will be precious to Rose in the time to come.

It took her precisely two minutes and six seconds to return to the Tardis. I busied myself as she rested against the door, forlorn, as tears trickled down her soft supple cheeks. My eyes remained anxiously fixated on Rose until we were safely in our universe. She was still slumped against the wooden door, her hand pressed to it and her ear against the grain. I prayed in that moment I would never have to see her like this again. I felt like I was being torn from the inside out as she sniffled, her mascara-strewn face seemingly listening intently.

"Rose" I breathed, causing her to turn gently. She stared at me for a few seconds, before running in my direction. I took her into a soft embrace, her sobs shaking my chest cavity as I held her, one hand tentatively on her back and the other holding her head to me. I let out a fragile 'shush' to soothe Rose, it became apparent that it was working as the muffled noises became quieter, subsiding smoothly.

Something came over me in the instant that followed. I was looking absently at the door to the Tardis as I felt Rose's arms readjust around my middle.

I kissed her on the head.

I don't know whether the idea of being parted, as Mickey was now, from Rose jolted me to permit this act. And, if I was being brutally honest with myself. I think that the kiss had been harboured dormant for some time now.

I felt Rose look up to me, her eyes still glistening with pain. I watched her in return, neither of us moving. Even our breath was soundless as she moved her eyes over my face, as though registering the sensation she had just experienced. I suppressed the urge to merge my lips with Rose's as time continued to tick past.

The Tardis slumbered in our wake, I had the inclination that she was trying to hold this moment, capture its essence and intensity. For hours it seemed I felt nothing else but Rose's clutching at my frame and her breath in turn curling around my neck. This was new, it was as though my Time lord senses had been numbed and I was human, a human cradling raw emotion in my arms with the ability to seize it.

Without warning Rose's mouth crashed against mine, beguiling me into a passion rapt miracle. I responded immediately, my hands drawing her in closer to my body, adrenalin absorbing my consciousness. Every second was electric as our forever furtive feelings sparked with contact. Her scent, her energy, her touch, Rose was addictive. A drug that I had now become dependant on.

As swiftly as it had begun, the kiss ended, leaving me breathless. For the first time I had experienced the heat of the affectionate fire in Rose's eyes. I then regained the sound of the Tardis humming in my mind, reality had removed the veil of lust I had been swept under. She exhaled with a small smile illuminating her face as well as mine and I laced our hands together purposefully as I prepared myself for what I wanted to tell her "I am never going to leave you" I assured, more tears washing her face.

"I know" she returned, squeezing my hands tenderly "I know" she repeated, brown eyes bright and fulfilled as they delved into mine "and I am gonna stay with you forever" Rose concluded.

Our smiles grew as I took her into my arms once more, coveting the most precious part of my life. The three words that a human would have said now did not even cross my mind as I held her as no words are needed to explain how much I love Rose Tyler.


End file.
